As the 2026 MLB Draft commences in Philadelphia, every Cougar from the preceding college baseball season making up the draft class will be updated, along with every undrafted free agent signing.
Houston matched its highest MLB Draft total since 2019 with five players selected over the two-day event.
Tre Broussard drafted 95th overall by Cleveland Guardians
After showcasing speed and agility with a Division I career 56 stolen bases in two seasons at Houston, outfielder Tre Broussard will begin his professional baseball career after being selected by the Cleveland Guardians with the 95th overall pick in the third round of the draft.
The bulk of those steals for the native Houstonian and Clear Brook High School alum came in his inaugural campaign as a sophomore for the Cougars in 2025, finishing with 31 steals, good for 34th nationally, second in the Big 12 and sixth in single-season program history. It became one of the many tools towards Houston clinching its first Big 12 tournament appearance in program history that same season.
At the plate in his Division I career, Broussard batted .315 with an .863 OPS, 10 homers and 57 RBIs over 98 games total. Before Houston, he spent his 2024 freshman season at San Jacinto College, where he batted .409 with a .545 slugging percentage, recorded 16 multi-hit games, drew more walks than strikeouts, and earned a NJCAA Region XIV first-team selection.
Broussard’s selection marks Houston’s earliest MLB Draft pick since left-handed pitcher Robert Gasser went 71st overall to the San Diego Padres in 2021.
Alex Solis drafted 418th overall by San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants selected junior right-handed pitcher Alex Solis with the 418th pick in the 14th round of the draft. Solis spent three seasons at Houston, with the majority of his appearances coming in relief.
Solis went 3-2 with a 5.50 ERA and a career-high 37 strikeouts over 37 ⅔ innings in 2026, including a season-best five no-hit frames against Sam Houston on Feb. 24 in Houston’s 5-4 win.
Ryne Rodriguez drafted 433rd overall by Los Angeles Dodgers
After his senior campaign at Houston, left-handed pitcher Ryne Rodriguez was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 433rd overall pick in the 14th round of the draft. He posted a 4.39 ERA with 57 strikeouts over 21 relief appearances in 2026.
The Fort Worth native recorded a team-leading four saves, including a perfect ninth inning to secure Houston’s signature 9-7 midweek comeback win over No. 2 Texas on March 24.
Rodriguez began his collegiate career at the JuCo level, spending his freshman season at Weatherford College before transferring to Ole Miss, where he made 33 appearances in relief over two seasons. In his sophomore season, he posted a team-leading 2.45 ERA with 15 strikeouts and allowed just four earned runs over 14 ⅔ innings.
Richie Roman drafted 509th overall by Kansas City Royals
Junior right-handed pitcher Richie Roman was selected with the 509th pick in the 17th round of the draft by the Kansas City Royals.
Roman spent all three seasons of his collegiate career at Houston, posting a career-best 3.86 ERA with 31 strikeouts as a junior in 14 appearances in 2026, including four starts.
The Corpus Christi native logged a season-high five innings and five strikeouts against Manhattan in the Puerto Rico Challenge on Feb. 15, helping propel Houston to a 4-2 win.
Carsten Sabathia III drafted 611th overall by Milwaukee Brewers
Infielder Carsten Sabathia III has officially followed his father, Major League Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia’s professional footsteps on the offensive side, after being selected by the Brewers with the 611th overall pick in the draft’s 18th round.
Sabathia rounded out his collegiate career batting .283 with a .885 OPS, nine extra-base hits and 18 RBIs in a season career-high 37 games, including 24 starts, for the Cougars in 2026. His two seasons at Houston, which compiled a .260 average, .800 OPS, eight homers and 36 RBIs, were made possible by the acclaim of its facilities which he and his father had experienced after spending his two seasons at Georgia Tech.
Out of Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, N.J., he was rated a top-three first baseman nationally by Perfect Game, No. 1 in the state and the No. 4 overall prospect out of the state. In 43 plate appearances for the Trenton Thunder in the 2026 MLB Draft League, Sabathia batted .235 with a .748 OPS, four doubles, eight RBIs and nine walks. On the second day of the draft combine, he posted the fifth-highest exit velocity clip at 112.2 miles per hour.
Cade Climie signs UDFA deal with Philadelphia Phillies
After two seasons at Houston and JuCo national championship under his belt from Blinn College, infielder Cade Climie will begin his professional baseball journey by signing an undrafted free agent deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Sugar Land native left his Division I mark with a career .300 average and 1.013 OPS, 19 homers, 43 extra-base hits and 66 RBIs over 90 total games with the Cougars. Climie’s turnaround 2026 senior campaign, exhibited by amped-up offseason workouts and defensive improvements, claimed a .338 average with a 1.109 OPS, 10 homers, 16 doubles and 29 RBIs in 44 games, leaving him with an All-Big 12 honorable mention.
In his 2024 sophomore season at Blinn, Climie batted .394 with a 1.305 OPS, 20 homers and 74 RBIs in 56 games in leading the Buccaneers to their first JuCo national championship in program history. His 3-for-6, two-double performance in Blinn’s 12-5 JuCo World Series national championship game win over Northwest Florida capped off his 15-for-27 overall performance in the tournament, for which he was named NJCAA World Series MVP.
Out of Seven Lakes High School, Climie was ranked the 24th overall prospect in Texas for his class, the top third baseman in the state and 16th-rated third baseman nationally by Perfect Game. In 2018, he competed in the 14U division of MLB’s Jr. Home Run Derby in Washington, D.C.
In 25 games for the Trenton Thunder in the 2026 MLB Draft League, Climie batted .250 with a .784 OPS, seven extra-base hits, 13 RBIs and 17 walks drawn.
Tyler Bryan signs UDFA deal with Minnesota Twins
Following the conclusion of his collegiate career as a senior at Houston, right-handed pitcher Tyler Bryan signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Minnesota Twins.
The Beckville native struck out 19 batters over 24 ⅓ innings for the Cougars in 2026, including a season-high 2 ⅓-inning, five-strikeout performance against Baylor on March 27. Prior to Houston, Bryan spent the first three seasons of his career at Northwestern State, where he logged a team-leading 14 starts for the Demons as a junior in 2025 and 53 strikeouts over 73 ⅔ innings.
Out of Beckville High School, Bryan was a multi-sport standout as a four-year baseball letterman, a two-year football letterman and a regional track finalist.
In 11 games for the West Virginia Black Bears of the 2026 MLB Draft League, Bryan struck out 14 batters.
Author
Discover more from Cougar Sports
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.